Kelvin has always wanted to get away from home. His parents, who see him as an incompetent idiot, and don't love him at all, have held him back from a Pokemon journey for two years. He finally gets to go, but starts off with a Magikarp.

I
still wonder why I started this story. Perhaps it was because I like
Magikarp so much, or that everyone seems to shun it for its weakness,
the complete helplessness a Magikarp seemed to represent before they
could get it to level 15, so it would learn Tackle, and then finally
evolve it into a Gyarados. I don't see why it's always finally.
I enjoy my little cute Magikarp, and this is dedicated to my Magikarp
(which evolved, sadly. After all, Gyarados is more useful...).

Note:
I won't be using levels. I like letting a Pokemon just have the
attacks that it would normally have at that stage (such as a Pikachu
would probably already know Thundershock, Quick Attack, Agility,
Growl, Thunder Wave, Slam, Double Team, and maybe Thunderbolt), and
then slowly add more on, at completely, or maybe not completely,
random times. I'm sorry if you don't appreciate that, but that's
my way of writing. Thank you. Also, since this fic is about Magikarp,
there will probably be things in here you think is impossible for a
little Magikarp. Just bear with me. And maybe watch the animated TV
series. There are some awesome episodes with little Magikarp in
there.

Also,
I will be using the TMs and HMs found in Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen.

Chapter One

Kelvin
watched the small groups of trainers depart from his town, Syra, with
great jealousy. Many of his classmates were among those groups,
headed off to some to-be great adventure. Meanwhile, he got to
stay home, with no one else in his class. His parents wouldn't
allow him to go. It was too dangerous, they said, and you aren't
able to survive out there. You can't do anything.

If
there was a time that Kelvin's parents had praised him, had
congratulated him, encouraged him, Kelvin didn't remember. He
didn't think that there was such a time that they thought of him
more than just the mistake he was, a waste of time, a small pathetic
puppy-dog that they didn't need at all. His parents detested him,
but they could do nothing about him aside from keep him miserable,
and hammer in how useless he was.

It
was ironic, Kelvin thought, that the only way they could really be
rid of him at the moment was to let him on his journey, and give him
a starter Pokemon. But they didn't. They wanted to let him be
miserable, and let him watch all of his classmates, who detested him
too, leave with their Charmander, Squirtle, or Bulbasaur. It simply
wasn't fair. Why did he have to be stuck here?

Kelvin
trudged back to his house, likely the largest one on the street. His
parents ignored him as he entered, and went up to his room, which was
barely eight feet across, and four feet wide. It was more of a
closet, a large one, but this was his room, where he kept the few
things that he valued: an empty Ultra Ball (which he'd found one
day in the river while playing around), the few sets of clothing he
even had (which his parents bought him just so he would look
presentable), his sleeping bag that he'd slept in ever since he was
seven (bough so he could "grow into it"), his Pokedex, which
every child had gotten when they'd turned ten (which was already
two years ago), whether they went on a journey or not, and about
$5,000 (US), which he'd saved up for a long time while running
errands for shops.

His
Pokedex was a constant reminder of his longing to go on his own
journey. Kelvin scanned through the Pokemon, looking at Scyther,
which was his favorite. What better way to scare his parents than
have such a Pokemon? Those scythes looked sharp enough to be able to
slice through the trunks of the great redwoods that grew around his
town.

A
bell rang: the signal for dinner. His parents never called him to
dinner. They simply put out his plate, with the little food they
expected him to eat, and let him come and eat it. They never said
anything to him either, unless he left some food still on the plate.
Then, they would snap at him to finish his meal, and not waste money.

It
was no different. Except Kelvin ate slowly, fuming that his parents
wouldn't let him go. It just wasn't fair...

"It's
not fair!" Kelvin shouted, startling both his parents. "Why won't
you let me just go? If you think that I'm just a waste of your
time, why don't you just let me get out of here?"

Both
of them stared at him, and then his father answered. "Because you
won't know what to do out there anyway."

"No,
that's not it," Kelvin retorted, with much disrespect to his
parents. "You just want to keep me away from what I like, that's
it. Well, if you think that I'm going to be such a failure as a
trainer, why don't you just let me be one, and the have a party
when I die?!"

He'd
gone overboard; the anger that had been building up since the day
that his father had announced he wasn't going finally exploded out
of him. His father's mouth hung open. His mother screeched at him.

"How
dare you!" she screamed. "We do this just so you can live your
pathetic little life, and this is how you decide to repay us?
You are more despicable then I thought, you worm!"

Kelvin
glared. "And you are the worst people that I've ever met. I don't
want to stay here anymore. I'm leaving. And I want a
starter. I want to get out!!!!"

There
was a long moment of silence after that. Then, his father gathered up
his wits.

"Very
well. We'll get you a starter," his father said calmly.

Kelvin
almost cheered. After all, he'd just gotten what he'd wanted.

He
did not see the sly glance that passed between his parents.

When
his parents handed him the Pokeball containing his starter, Kelvin
couldn't wait. He was bursting inside to start his journey, and was
already packed, having done so last night. Kelvin had gotten almost
no sleep, due to his overwhelming excitement, but he didn't feel
tired at all. His father saw him off, amazingly, and Kelvin almost
sprinted down the road.

When
he'd gotten to his favorite spot, the place next to the river that
the Ultra Ball had been in, Kelvin released his Pokemon.

It
was a male Magikarp.

The
orange fish flopped on the ground, panting heavily.

Kelvin
stared.

"Er..."
What was he supposed to say?

"Magikarp
karp karp," the Magikarp panted. "Magikarp karp karp."

The
time stretched as Kelvin stared at his starter. Then, as if his mind
had suddenly started to work again, Kelvin remembered his Pokedex.
Pulling it out, Kelvin checked up on Magikarp.

"Magikarp,"
the Pokedex said. "The fish Pokemon. Magikarp are said to be almost
worthless, until they evolve. Magikarp can withstand
waters with high levels of toxicity, and therefore are very hardy."

Well.
That wasn't very good...

A
worthless Pokemon? How can a Pokemon be worthless? Kelvin
thought about it, as his Magikarp panted on the ground, flopping up
and down. Then it clicked. Magikarp only knew Splash, a completely
worthless move that did nothing, until they learned Tackle, and maybe
Flail.

Kelvin
fumed. It was just like his parents to give him a supposedly
worthless Pokemon. Well, he'd show them. He'd show them what he
could really do.

"Hey
Magikarp. I'm Kelvin." Kelvin didn't know how to introduce
himself to a Pokemon, but it was worth a try. "I'm going to be
your trainer now."

Amazingly,
the Magikarp actually seemed to be listening. Kelvin didn't know
why he knew that the fish was listening, it just seemed to be. Did it
stop heaving so much, and stayed a little stiller? Kelvin smiled.

"Magikarp,"
his Magikarp replied. "Magi magi."

"I
think I'll give you a nickname. Is that alright?"

Magikarp
nodded. Nodded.

"Um...
will Kari do?" Kelvin named the only friend that he'd ever had
(who'd moved quite a while ago).

Magikarp
nodded again, and propelled itself into his arms. Kelvin caught Kari
in his arms, and smiled.

"We'll
show them what we can do, won't we?"

Kari
nodded.

Kelvin
didn't really know how to train his Magikarp. The only attack it
knew was Splash, and that was altogether worthless. But he had an
idea.

Recently,
he'd heard of Magikarp swimming up waterfalls. It was a study made
by some professor, and it had caught his interest. And luckily, there
were stairs of waterfalls rather close to Syra. If he could have Kari
swim up the waterfall, then he could strengthen Kari.

Already,
they'd tried three times. Kari hadn't yet made it past the first
waterfall, but wasn't giving up. Kelvin was acting the part of the
cheerleader. All he was missing was the uniform and the pom-poms.

"C'mon
Kari! You can do it! I know you can!" Kelvin yelled, jumping up and
down in ecstasy.

Anyway
looking at the pair would have thought they were nuts. What were the
chances that someone would be cheering on a lowly, little Magikarp?
But Kelvin didn't care. He was already seen as "weird" in Syra;
a little cheering like this wouldn't hurt his reputation at all.

Kari
swam quickly towards the waterfall, his fins and tail working
furiously, propelling him through the rough waters against the
current. Kelvin cheered him on, watching Kari struggle against the
powers of the waterfall, and fail once again. Still, Kari wasn't
going to give up. He surged up again, and, with a final leap, finally
cleared the first of four waterfalls.

Kelvin
whooped, and watched as Kari struggled to not be washed right back
over the waterfall he had just climbed. He failed, and was swept back
over, but came back to his task with unmatched ferocity. Well, as
much ferocity as a small Magikarp as he could manage. Kari wasn't a
real small Magikarp, but he wasn't exactly one of the huge one's
either. He just fit perfectly in Kelvin's arms.

And
Kari was a stubborn Magikarp. Kelvin was a stubborn trainer. And they
had similar views, as far as Kelvin could tell, and a similar aim (to
prove themselves). No wonder they made such a good pair.

DarkFlameWarrior:
Well, there's the first chapter. Thanks if you're reading this,
even if you don't like it that much and anything. I just hope you
like it. But anyway, please tell me how you think it is (even if you
think that it's not good), and if you're nice enough, point out
mistakes I might have overlooked... and things you need clarified.
I'm not very perfect, not at all. And read my profile too. Thanks!

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.